The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-11-02
THE CONDOR IN CHILL.
A HERD o. CATTLE STAMPEOEO BY
THE BIG BIRDS.
Rayenous Pirates Of the Air Attack .
steer-A Brute In the Agony Of Death.
Victory for the yultures - vindictive
Villagers.


Villagers.
The little village where was staying in
Chill lay at the very base of the Andes,
with about mile of plain stretching away
10 the ocean At sunrise on the very
first morning | was in the place | was
awakened by great commotion among
the populace. Springing from the palm
mattress on which | had been sleeping, !
looked ont Of the low window Of my
apartment. Men. women and children
were running through the narrow streets
Yelling wildly, and men on horseback
dashed away across the plain, in which di-
rectiOn the excited mob Of villagers was
tending \ roar as though a hurricane
were passing came mp from the plain,
and there was a tremOr in the earth
that alarmed me. / inquired what
the trouble was, and was told that II
was nothing but the cOndOrs. which
had come down that morning in
large force from the mountains and were
even then engaged in selecting cattle
from the village herd. Looking across
the plain / discovered for the first time
that a great cloud of dust covered il for
n wide area from which came the roar
and the trcmOr that had alarmed me
The cloud and the roar and the tTemor
were made by the herd dashing furiously
about on the plain, fleeing in terror be-
fore the pursuit Of TIE condors. Quickly
saddling my horse, which was qnartered
i'm the small inn yard | dashed away
across the plain TO enjoy a close view Of
the disturbance and see what its outcome
would be- passing on my way jabbering
and shouting groups Of villagers hurry
ing on afoot toward the flying cloud Of
dust. i'm which were hidden the common
property of the place and its ravenous and
determined foe.
As rode mp to within dozen rods Of
the stampeded cattle one Of the herd
burst suddenly from the dense volume Of
dust Four immense c0ndOrs followed it,
and swooping down upon il, tore at its
flesh with their great claws and pune
tured and lacerated it with their strong
beaks The animals eyes were blood
shot and were wild with terror. It's bel
lOwings were terrible 10 hear. II dashed
It's tail i'm agony against its torn and
bleeding sides. and rushed aimlessly in
an directions. While the huge vultures
beat against it and slashed and ripped il
with beak and claws. While | gallOped
along and watched this sickening mutila-
ton of this helpless steer the herd dashed
on. and every condor that was following
II seemed 10 abandon IL, and, whetted by
the scent Of the blood that flowed from the
wounded steer, joined in its mad pursuit.
Although the poor beast sped over the
ground like the heetest racer, the attack
ing birds kept close by its side, plying
their terrible beaks and talons The herd,
free from the assaults OF the cOndors,
came TO a stop a mile or so away, and the
mounted herdsmen dashed back to the
Scene / was watching They carried
lassos and spurred their horses after the
steer, which was now closely followed by
the whole field Of vultures. The process
sion Of following villagers had also ar
rived at the spot and huddled about in
noisy groups, hurled many Spanish curses
nj the bold flock Of cOndOrs that was
mtchering one Of their best animals be
fore their very eyes
Following the beleaguered steer, and
Circling around il as il dashed here and
here in its vain attempts TO escape from
the torture 10 which its cruel pursucrs
were subiecting it, the herdsmen cast
their lariats again and again, and after
several attempts each lassOed a condor.
Once the poor steer. as If looking 20 us for
assistance in his extremity, rushed in
among the hOrsemen and crowds of spec
iatOrs Regardless Of our presence the
desperate cOndOrs chung 10 his bleeding
sides or dashed along in his wake The
doomed animal was black with dust and
streaming with blood from a hundred
wounds. The excited crowd scattered be-
fore the advance Of the steer, and the
lassoers, having strangled to death the
c0ndors they had captured, advanced
again 10 cast their lariats.
The steer circled around in a stumbling
and unsteady way. lie carried his head
high, and once staggered and fell. With a
great effort he regained his feet and once
more moved toward the crowd of specta-
tors. Bloody foam dropped in great masses
from his mouth His loud cries OF agony
had changed to husky means. His tongue,
red and swollen, hung at full length from
his mouth. AS he passed He huge con
dor dashed forward, seized the steers
tongue in its beak and wrenched il out by
the roots The steer threw his head up
with heartrending cry, and then ] saw
two hdeous, sghtless cavities, dripping
blood where his eyes had been plucked
from their sockets
The spot where the steer had been
separated by the condors from the herd
was not more than an eighth of a mile
from the sea shore and the animal had
been dashing madly about on the plain,
crcling and zigzagging here and there
without drawing any nearer 20 the winter
Suddenly tougueless and sightlcss, and
tottcring and rapidly weakening under
his myriad wounds, he wheeled, turned |
his head toward she ocean and, gathering
himself as if for last desperate effort, |
dashed madly away in that direction.
Plunging and reeling onward and still |
pursued by every ravenous vulture, the |
dying steer rushed straight for the surf |
He reached the margin of the sea and |
fell dead with his head in the waves
Instantly a score Of beaks were tear
ing the dead animals flesh from his |
bones / spused my horse forward |
and gallOped 10 the spot where the yul- |
lures were stripping the carcass. When |
q. I.-.1.